Cultivator



(No Model) D. HICKS. GULTIVATOR.

No. 467,374. Patented Jan. 19, 1892.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEIcE.

DILLYARD HICKS, OF WALDO, FLORIDA.

C U LTIVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,374, dated January 19, 1892. Application filed May 29, 1891. Serial No. 394,513. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DILLYARD HICKS, of WValdo, in the county of Alachua and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cultivators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in cultivators, and has for its object to provide a cultivator of exceedingly simple and durable construction and capable of having attached thereto plows of any make-as, for instance, scooters, shovels, sweeps, 85c.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement capable of being economically manufactured.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the implement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the plow-shanks.

In carrying out the invention two crossbeamslO and 11 are secured to the draft-beam 12, preferably to the under side of the draftbeam, and the cross-beams are parallel with each other, but cross the draft-beam at an angle of about forty-five degrees. The forward cross-beam 11 is adapted to carry a series of plow-shanks 13, the front surfaces of which plowshanks face the line of draft-that is, they face in the same direction as the forward end of the draft-beam. Thus the front faces of the shanks are at an angle to the underface of the cross-beam. Thelower ends of the shanks 13 are preferably slightly curved in the direction of the front, as illustrated at 14 in Fig. 2, and to the forward face of the lower ends of the shanks plowshares 15 of any approved construction are secured.

The manner of attaching the shanks to the beam 11 is illustrated in Fig. 3, and consists in reducing the upper ends of the shanks and forming them circular in cross-section, and the circular ends are passed upward in apertures 16, produced in the beam. The upper extremity of each shank is exteriorly threaded, and when fitted in the beam extends above its upper face to receive lock-nuts 17. Thus the shank may be readily removed or replaced, and the shanks may be manufactured at a slight cost.

The cross-beam 10 has attached to its under face a series of braces 18, corresponding in number to the number of shanks 13. The braces face in the same direction as the shanks, and are carried downward from the beam 10 to an engagement with the rear curved portions of the shanks, being attached to them, preferably, through the medium of two bolts 19 and 20. The bolts 20 are also utilized for attaching the shares to the shanks, as said bolts are made to pass through said shares. The implement is provided with a handle 21 of any suitable or approved construction.

It will be observed that the cross-beams 10 are rigidly fixed to the draft-beam, and that the main attachment is made at the central portion of the former only. Such an attachment, however, is not sufficient of itself to insure the cross-beams from becoming loosened when the implement is in use in stony or hard ground, as the tension exerted upon the ends of the cross-beams is at times exceedingly great, especially at their forwardly-extending ends. In order to remedy this defect in cultivators of this class, I eniploya peculiar mode of bracing the cross-beams, consisting of securing to the handle 21 the upper ends of two vertically-disposed bars 22, one being located at each side of the handle, as is best shown in Fig. 1, which bars at their lower ends are firmly fastened one to the front and the other to the rear cross-beam between the centers and ends of said beams. By this means the ends of the cross-beams are simply and economically prevented from yielding to lateral strain, and thehandle is utilized as a medium of making a second or auxiliary connection between the draft and the cross-beams, and also the devices employed as the main connection between the cross-beams andthe draftbeam are effectually preserved against undue strain. As an additional safeguard, both cross-oars are connected at their forwardlyinclined ends by a threaded rod 23, provided with lock and check nuts, and a second rod 24 of like character is carried from the draftbeam at an angle thereto and secured to the forward cross-beam, one threaded brace-rod being, preferably, nearer the forward extremities of the cross-beams than the other.

As the implement is drawn forward in operation the teeth or shares travel in a line at an obtuse angle to the line of draft, but the dirt is thrown parallel with the line of draft and rearwardly therefrom, of two parallel and spaced cross beams extending diagonally across the draft-beam and rigidly secured thereto near their central surfaces, one of said cross-beams being adapted to carry cultivator blades or teeth, a series of curved braces projected forwardly and downwardly from the rear cross-beam, adapted for engagement at their lower ends to the supports of the cultivator blades or teeth, and vertical brace-bars, one being secured to each SldB'Of the handle and to each cross-bar, substantially as described, whereby the cross-beams are sustained against lateral strain and the main connections between the crossbeams and draft-beam are preserved against undue tension, as set forth.

2. In an implement of the character described, the combination, with the draft-beam, a handle projected upwardly and rearwardly from the draft-beam, and parallel and spaced cross-beams rigidly secured to the draft-beam near their centers and extending diagonally beyond opposite sides of the draft-beam, of shanks adapted as supports for cultivator teeth or blades secured to the forward draftbeam, a series of braces attached to the rear cross-beam and to the shanks, vertical bracebars secured at their upper ends, one at each side of the handle, and at their lower ends, one to each cross-beam, a brace-rod connectin g the cross-beams near their forwardly-inclined ends, and a second rod connecting the forward cross-beam with the draft-beam, substantially as shown and described, whereby two independent cross-beams are obtained and the said cross-beams are preserved against lateral strain and undue tension upon the devices connecting them directly with the draft-beam is prevented, and whereby the forwardly-inclined ends of ,the cross-beams are stiffened, asand for the purpose set forth.

DILLYARD HIGKS.

W'it-nesses;

ANDREW JOLLY, LEEROY OSTEEN. 

